


Truth or dare

by Antika



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-03 02:07:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2834249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antika/pseuds/Antika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU. Gendry is put in an awkward place after a game of Truth or dare. Faced with the realization that he has to let Arya know his feelings once and for all, he tries his best to do so. But Arya isn't the most attentive person in town and things get more complicated than he wishes for. Summer vacation is soon over, will things end happily?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Kiss Arya." Lommy says and the others laugh.

Again I ask myself why I remain friends with this dude at all. Looks like I am the first quitter of the evening, because if we’re talking hard limits then you’ve got one right there. When I let the others know, they all whine and sigh, saying that if I am to be part of the game then I shouldn’t give up that easily. Arya has a cocky smile plastered on her face. A kiss probably means nothing to her and she’s been asking a lot about me and Willow lately which simply means she  _thinks_  she knows the reason why I am reluctant to kiss her. Well, she isn’t necessarily always right.  
  
  
The others don’t cease their whining. What would happen if I did kiss her, though? Not only could I get in serious trouble for kissing a fifteen-year-old, but Arya Stark has three brothers present at the camping place and yet another at basic military training on the other side of the country. Hell, Bran is even in the room! Although to be honest, he doesn’t look too bothered by the prospect of me making out with his sister. Kissing. Peck. Whatever. On the good idea scale, this one ranges from one to not at all. …Then again, who the fuck cares about the scale when I can blame this on the alcohol later? I lean into her and kiss her on the mouth with as much chasteness as such a kiss could manage, too quick for comfort. Because let’s face it, three beers have no effect on me and common sense returns right when I get a close-up of her face. Then Lommy has to open his big mouth again:

"What was that?! That’s not a kiss!"

And the others start agreeing with him, but my eyes are on her. She laughs, completely unbothered, and I feel like punching something.

"Whatever, I’m done with this."

Jumping up from my place beside Arya I walk out.  
  
  
Just my luck, it’s raining cats and dogs outside and I am too irritated at the others to get back into the cabin. Instead I stand sheltered from the rain and stare out at the darkness. Of course she isn’t bothered by it. Because she is Arya goddamn fucking Stark and she has the emotion span of a friggin’ table. With a half-assed kick at the ground I cross my arms.

"What is up with you? It was only a kiss…"

Apparently she also has the stealth of a ghost because I didn’t hear her coming out of the cabin at all. Looking across my shoulder I glower down at her, still mad even though she hasn’t really done anything. I don’t say anything.

"…Well, barely a kiss, really. What am I, your sister?" With a laugh she leans on the wall next to me and looks up, still looking for a reaction.

If only I could simply stay mad at her. Still I say nothing.

"Is it because of Willow?"

"No!"

For a second I feel the need to shake her and repeatedly tell her that there is nothing going on between me and Willow. I don’t do anything.

"Fine, so it’s just the idea of kissing me that creeps you out that much? Wow. Thanks."

Attitude, it is always attitude with her. She doesn’t even let me open my mouth to explain when she is already turning around to go back inside. Reaching out I grab her hand and yank angrily, making her spiral back.

"What!" She snaps at me.

_Fuck the good idea scale_ , I think to myself and seize her lips with mine. Then I am kissing Arya Stark and she’s wrapping her arms around my neck like she’s just been waiting for me to finally do this.


	2. Chapter 2

After that night playing truth and dare with our friends, Arya and I go back to our usual selves. Apparently at least one of us decided to cover their actions with the lame excuse of alcohol intoxication. Hint: not me. Or maybe I am simply confused about what her arms around my neck meant. In all honesty, my wishful thinking could have meddled with my thoughts that night.  
  
  
The week moves along slowly and everyday there is always something new to do. Since it is my only week of vacation during this summer, I wish I could just stay in and ignore them all. But Arya is always involved, which means that turning down an offer to hang out with the group isn't an option. The last Saturday before my vacation started I kissed her and on Thursday, I'm still pretty clueless about what it meant. This isn't me trying to make things complicated. I am convinced I was as straightforward as people can ever be. But Arya treats me the same and after a few days of that my spirits are picking up dust. Then she actually notices my bad mood and she takes a break from bathing in the river with the others to come and sit by my side in the shade.  
  
"You are pouting." She says.  
  
"Am not."  
  
"Yes you are!"  
  
She laughs and I actually manage to stop my face from its instantaneous reaction to the sound. When she notices I don't react the way I usually would, her laughter dies away and she watches me with a puzzled expression on her face.  
  
"Seriously, though. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Clearly there is something!"  
  
"Get over yourself, Arya."  
  
The words might have sounded harsher than intended, but I can't stand having her interrogating me on something she should be well aware of. At the same time, it bothers me that I have to act like an asshole one of the few times she shows earnest concern for me. Almost as soon as the words are out, I want to take them back. But then Arya is already up and walking away.

  
  
The next time we talk is that same evening, during the BBQ at mine and Hot Pie's place. Probably bored from the group outside, she walks into the apartment adjacent to the tiny garden patch where they all are situated. Inside she finds me laying on the couch and judging from her face, she isn't happy about it. Fine, be that way. Crossing her arms she sits down and waits for me to speak.  
  
"Not saying sorry." I say to no one in particular.  
  
"So you admit that apologizing would be the the right thing to do, after your behavior earlier today?"  
  
"The one apologizing for her behavior should be you. We kiss and it changes nothing at all?" I admit that saying that out loud makes my cheeks burn.  
  
"Oh, you're grumpy for that? Alright! You kissed me well enough the second time, you're happy now? Geez, I never thought you'd be in such need of approval."  
  
"That's not what I-"  
  
"-Besides! Do you double-check the quality of your kisses with all the girls you kiss on a dare?"  
  
That's it. I can't believe anyone is that oblivious and by now I am convinced she's just messing with me. Pulling myself up from the couch I throw my arms up in defeat and throw her one last incredulous look.  
  
"I'd never kiss someone only because I was _dared_ to."  
  
Not caring for her answer I walk into my room and close the door with a loud _thud!_ Damn it all to hell.


	3. Chapter 3

Two hours later I finally leave my room and notice from the music and the laughing outside that the alcohol must be doing its job. It makes me almost sigh, in my groggy state I barely feel like socializing. Making my way over to the fridge I grab a beer and down it, then I grab a second one and walk out.  
  
  
Right outside I encounter Hot Pie on his way to the kitchen to leave some dirty dishes and I help him get the things inside. He's wearing an apron with tiny, fat pigs everywhere and I fight the urge to point out the familiar resemblance. When I finally start listening to whatever he's been saying, I realize that Arya has spoken to him about what happened earlier.  
  
"...You know Arya. If you're to confess your feelings, you'll have to spell it out word by word. For such a smart girl, she can be remarkably stupid."  
  
"Wait, you mean to say that from what she told you, you already know how I feel but she doesn't?"  
  
"Pretty much." Hot Pie says and laughs. "Oh my god, you met that Edric guy? He's been tailing her all evening and he even asked her out on a date! But that seems to have gone unnoticed because she invited Mycah to tag along. It was as painful to watch as it was hilarious."  
  
In spite of my crappy mood, I laugh. Because that is definitely something Arya would do. But my smile dies when I think about what I'll have to do to get my point across. Showing I care is easy, but actually saying the words... Only the thought of it makes me uncomfortable and I down my beer and start on the third.  
  
  
We walk outside again and I am surprised by the amount of people still present. Even with the people and the bad lightning I can spot her in seconds and remain quiet, simply watching her from my spot by the door.  
  
"You're not going to go talk to her?" Hot Pie asks, receiving a beer from Arya's friend Mycah.  
  
Talking about Arya in front of Mycah makes me a bit uncomfortable. Sure, they are friends, but I don't know the guy, the only thing I know is that he swings for the same team as Hot Pie.  
  
"...What would I say?"  
  
Hot Pie turns to Mycah and throws his arms out:  
  
"Oh, Arya! My love! I think of you every time I masturbate! You're in my wettest dreams!"  
  
"Oh, Gendry!" Says Mycah as dramatically in response. "Impale me with your manhood!"  
  
Then both of them are laughing on the verge of tears and I am looking around nervously to see if anybody heard. I've never hit Hot Pie before, but now would be a good time to start. Shit, douchebag.  
  
"Ease up, Gendry!" Hot Pie says and slaps me on the back, making my beer spill.  
  
"Yeah. Just talk to her. Right now she's just worried that you're pissed at her because she was so insensitive." Mycah explains and sips his drink, he and Arya are drinking the same kind.  
  
"I hate you both."  
  
Turning my back on their laughter, I walk towards Arya.


	4. Chapter 4

The one person I didn't see from where I had been standing was Edric, he's now standing way too close to her. As I walk towards them, he finishes telling her some story and she laughs loudly. Either because she likes him or because she's had too much to drink. The first one sounds more reasonable in my own tipsy brain. When she notices me, her face turns serious for a moment before she shots me an apologetic smile.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Hey." I say, my voice still sounds grumpy but I feel my bolled up left hand relaxing at the sound of her voice and the look in her eyes. It's hard to stay mad when looking into those eyes.  
  
Asshat Edric clears his throat and Arya looks surprised when she finds he's still there by her side.  
  
"Sorry." She says and smiles at him, though he doesn't deserve it. "This is Gendry, you haven't met him? He lives here with Hot Pie."  
  
"Oh, you must be Hot Pie's... Uhm..." He starts saying with a tone I know too well.  
  
"No." Is my immediate response and I throw him a deadly glare that makes him try to nervously find somewhere else to settle his eyes. Good. Be afraid, you little shit. But Arya is laughing again.  
  
"Noooo! They're just roommates. Gendry is as straight as they come, believe me. I've seen the kind of porn he watches."  
  
Oh, God. Could I really have forgotten that Arya scrolled through my history one unfortunate time and found everything I usually watch? Right when I am about to retort, I notice that Edric looks particularly awkward knowing that bit of information. Time for a strategy change.  
  
"Don't play innocent, you definitely liked it." I say to her and poke her cheek.  
  
In the usual Arya-manner, she laughs and slaps my hand away and I take a long sip of my beer, looking down at Edric who still hasn't found a comfortable spot for his eyes to rest on. Alright, maybe he isn't as short as I make him out to be, but that doesn't matter. He is still a tiny piece of shit and I'd easily bring him down.   
  
  
When Arya spots Mycah making himself another drink, she excuses herself and walks over to him for a refill and I find myself alone with Asshat. Yeah, that name fits him better. Since I don't bother talking, I expect him to simply walk away but he remains beside me and after a while he finally works up the guts to speak.  
  
"Are the two of you dating?" He says. Of course he would ask, Hot Pie already made it clear that this dude is trying to get into Arya's pants. Why can't I just punch his ugly babyface already?  
  
"What does it matter to you?" I ask in return and finish my beer. With a last glowering glance at his face, I walk away to get myself another.  
  
  
As I reach past Arya to grab a bottle of what I hope is any kind of strong liquor, she turns to look at me and she looks pretty annoyed. What the hell did I do now? But she isn't saying anything, which can only mean that she expects me to already know. I give her an exaggerated sigh instead and decide to grab one of the many cans of beer on the table.  
  
"What?" I say and tap the top of my beer twice before opening it.  
  
"What was that?" She asks me and the tone in her voice confirms that she's, indeed, pissed-off at me.  
  
"What was what?" Although I am pretty sure I know what she's about to say, I can't help but wanting to make her even angrier. She deserves it for flirting with the likes of Edric.  
  
"Even you can't be that stupid! Edric hasn't done anything to you, do you have to be this rude towards him? He's your guest!"  
  
"That's funny coming from you of all people. If you wanted to be alone with him, you could've just said so."  
  
"It's not about that and you damn well know it." Is what she says, but I see her cross her arms and look down at her feet and I recognize that move. Arya is embarrassed. For what? Me being right about her wanting to be alone with him? Does she like him?  
  
"Fuck it. Go do whatever or whomever you want, I don't give a shit."  
  
As I turn around I hear her say my name and grab my arm, almost making me stop. But with four beers in my system I can barely feel bad for her when I effortlessly pull my arm away from her grip and leave.   


 


	5. Chapter 5

Inside the apartment I realize that definitely was an asshole move. It isn't like I am actively trying to be one, but I am not necessarily trying my best to be nice and caring either. What are my choices now? I guess I could go back and tell her I'm sorry, even though that'd be at least partly a lie. Should I really even be trying to reason with myself at a time like this? Passing through the kitchen I grab a bottle of vodka Hot Pie keeps in the freezer and a shot glass. The first shot almost gets stuck in my throat and I wince at the awful taste. The second doesn't go down any easier. By the third, I am strongly questioning my actions.  
  
  
Hot Pie enters looking for me and finds me sitting on the floor by the couch staring at the closed curtains and the play of lights softly shining through.  
  
"How mad is she?" I ask and take a swig from my now lukewarm beer.  
  
"Doing tequila shots with Mycah." He tells me and I groan.  
  
The thing with Arya is that when she is mad and gets it out, then things get quickly back to normal. But whenever she keeps it inside, it always erupts later on and even worse than normal. If she isn't making a big deal out of it now, it means she's definitely saving it for later. I let out a mouthful of air, close my eyes and throw my head back to lay on the arm of the couch.  
  
"What even happened? I saw you go talk to her. What did you tell her?" Hot Pie asks and reaches over to take his vodka and the shot glass, filling it up to the middle.  
  
"Don't know. Just spoke to them. She said I was being rude to Eric."  
  
" _Edric._ " He corrects me and giggles. Actually giggles. As if he wasn't gay enough. "But were you like... Super jealous and macho?"  
  
"No." I snap back, then realize my mistake.  
  
"You totally were!" He says and laughs out loud this time. I want to strangle him. "How could I have missed it?! Never seen you jealous before."  
  
"...Never been jealous before." I tell him, because it's pretty useless denying the fact that I also recognized it as jealousy the moment I felt it.  
  
  
The vodka has made me tired by now and I raise an arm to cover my eyes from the light. Why is it so light, anyway? Wincing slightly I open my eyes and notice the door opening is the source of the sudden light. Of course none other than Arya steps through it and I have to suppress a sigh.  
  
"How come you're not outside?" She asks calmly and I don't know if she's looking at us both or if she's ignoring me. I hear Hot Pie getting up.  
  
"Gendry's drunk. Pains of the heart, blah-blah. Mycah still out there? Here, I'll give this one to you and I'll take your better looking friend." Hot Pie responds.  
  
Then I can hear him walking away and a set of lighter steps replace his.  
  
  
As I look up I kind of expect her to be still angry at me, but she's looking at me with the same concern she did when we were out by the river. Meeting her eyes when she's looking at me like that gets harder by the second and I look away, hoping that her annoyance will come back and she'll walk away.  
  
"Is it Willow again?" She asks, apparently still convinced about my non-existent relationship with the girl. I groan audibly and let my arms fall to my sides. Meanwhile she snorts. "Well, excuse me for caring!"  
  
"Please don't. I really don't want to do this right now." Somehow my voice has lost its strength and Arya stops her talking at once when she notices.  
  
This time I do believe she'll walk away, because although we've been together for a long time, she hasn't really ever seen me like this. It isn't exactly a side of me I'd want her to know about, a side that shows that even I can hurt over this kind of stupid thing. But she surprises me by curling up beside me and putting her hands around me in half a hug. Her short hair tickles my neck, but feeling her breathing against me gives me such a feeling that, were she on fire, I know I'd gladly burn along with her.  
  
  
By the time she helps me up from the floor I realize the vodka really is in full control of my body. I can only barely register her voice as she tries to pull me up and I lay all my energy on actually getting on two feet. Then suddenly I am on my bed and she's asking me if I am going to be sick. I think I assure her I won't, but I am not sure because everything gets dark and cozy and I am only thinking about how soft her hair is and how much I'd like to run my hands through it.


	6. Chapter 6

After having various of what seems to be never-ending dreams of me chugging down whole buckets of ice-cold water, I wake up and feel like a sweaty mess. When I glance up at my clock it's around four thirty and outside I can still hear people. How long do they intend to go on, exactly? Not bothering to make an appearance out there, I walk to my tiny bathroom and drink water straight from the tap 'til I have enough liquid in me to actually start feeling sick. I decide to take a quick shower as well, since I am already up and decide afterwards that sleeping more isn't a bad idea at all. My hair is wet from the shower but that doesn't really bother me and after finding a pair of boxers, I go back to my bed for what I hope will be a couple more of rejuvenating hours of sleep.  
  
  
The second time I wake up, I feel like I've been running for miles without rest. Every muscle is damning me to hell and I reckon the vodka is to blame for it. Sleepily turning around, I find myself face to face with a sleeping Arya in my bed and at once I feel awake and alert.   
  
She's curled up and I notice she's wearing one of my t-shirts and glancing down I see bright green boxer shorts. Some part of my brain proposes I might still be dreaming but the rest is too aware of reality. What exactly am I supposed to do in a situation like this? Sitting up I look around the room to see if there's anybody else, but we're alone and that alone makes me feel guilty for some reason. Laying back down I turn to her and start poking her face until she groans and finally wins the fight against her heavy eyelids. Her gray eyes look pointedly at me... Is my hair too messed up after that shower? I run a hand through it, a bit too self-conscious with Arya this close to me.  
  
"What exactly are you doing here?" I ask her while she rubs her eyes and reaches for the blanket covering me. Which I don't react to until I remember I'm only wearing boxers beneath. Still I don't move or protest as she edges closer and I feel her legs against mine.  
  
"Needed a place to sleep." She says and closes her eyes intending to go back to sleep.  
  
"You do realize we have a perfectly comfortable couch? And wasn't Sansa supposed to come get you?"  
  
"Gendry..." She whines my name rather than says it, then sighs and looks at me again. "Sansa got plastered and Margaery called to say they'd just go to her house so I told her to tell mom I was with them then stayed here. Lommy and Edric are sharing the couch and Mycah is sleeping in Hot Pie's room... It got late."  
  
With a shrug she closes her eyes again and my mind is rallying. Does that mean Edric saw her choose my room? Unless she specifically told him about our relationship, he is bound to misinterpret the whole situation. Which I don't mind in the least. Turning on my back I prop my head up with one arm and stare at the ceiling.  
  
"What would your mom think if she heard you were sneaking into older guys' beds in just your panties?" I ask her and smile unintentionally.  
  
"Oh geez, if you see her then you can ask her yourself. Now shut up, I've slept for like an hour, tops." Arya responds, her voice impatient now.  
  
But I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep even if I wanted and instead I stay silent, waiting for her to fall back asleep.  
  
  
As soon as I hear her breathing get even, I turn my head to watch her. Now she's even closer to me, her face cupped in her hands and her lips slightly parted. Her dark hair is messy and together with her unguarded expression it makes for quite a view. No attitude, no scowling. If she looked this innocent while awake, then confessing my feelings for her wouldn't be such a hassle. Not that I haven't already... I am guessing any other person would've gotten the idea by now.  
  
  
When I wake up for the third time, I feel wide awake but the surprise is even bigger because Arya is tightly curled against me and her warm breath caresses my shoulder. One of her legs found its way between mine and that only serves to remind me that there is something else wide awake. One thing that Arya's hand lays dangerously close to. With as much care as humanly possible, and some resistance from my less thoughtful brain half, I disentangle myself from her and sit up. She groans, turns around to the other side facing away from me and appears to be asleep again.


	7. Chapter 7

After a very cold shower I walk out in boxers and towel to find her sitting up on the bed staring straight forward, although she doesn't look much more awake than she was before. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, I sit on the bed and start towel-drying my hair.  
  
"My head hurts." She moans with a throaty voice caused by little sleep and too much alcohol.  
  
"The consequences of tequila shots." I say and hang the towel on the chair standing by the small table right beside my bed. "What time did you go to bed?"  
  
"'Round six." Arya says, then seems to realize something and meets my eyes. "Are you feeling better?"  
  
"About...?"  
  
"Don't know, that Willow thing yesterday."  
  
There it is again. By now I know she has made up her mind about me dating Willow and I almost shake my head. But doing so would make her think I am responding to her statement, not the level of stupidity in it. ...Although, isn't this as good a time as any other to set things straight with her? Having her sleeping in my bed might have been fine once, but now it was only an unpleasant surprise because I don't know if she would've done the same if she were aware of my feelings. Granted I did enjoy watching her sleep, but as long as I remain in this one-sided whatever-it-is then that kind of actions are wrong, not to mention creepy. I may be a lot of things, but I take pride in being an honest person.  
  
"Come on, are you doing this on purpose? You know Willow isn't the person I'm beating myself up over."  
  
"So who is?" She demands to know immediately.  
  
"You." I finally say without pause and look away, unable to face the confusion I know will be forming on her face. My worst fears are pretty much confirmed the longer she remains speechless.  
  
  
No way could I remain there with the nearly palpable rejection of my feelings. I flee the room the moment I hear her move, because I am not prepared to hear whatever words she's carefully chosen to let me know she doesn't see me the same way. Closing the door behind me I soon realize fleeing is possibly a worse move than staying, because outside are both Lommy and Edric looking freshly awake and I wonder if they heard anything from outside. Moving past them without any kind of greeting, I walk straight to the kitchen and busy myself with making coffee. Not too long after I hear a door open and close and I hope it is either Hot Pie or Mycah who's woken up and walked into our livingroom/kitchen area. But wishful thinking does nothing to cover the fact that I recognize those light steps and I know where they are headed.   
  
"Gendry-" She starts saying.  
  
"No. Just ignore what I said." The words hurriedly escape my mouth, cutting her off.  
  
"Ignore it? We need to talk!"  
  
Lommy and Edric sit turned towards us, very much alert to the conversation and Arya follows my stare and shuts up. At least we both agree on not making a public spectacle out of this.  
  
"Trouble in paradise?" Tommy says and wiggles his eyebrows at Arya.  
  
Doesn't take much more than that from him to piss me off, because he's always been an egoistical douchebag always meddling into things that have nothing to do with him. The same second I curl my fingers into my hand, Arya shoots me a threatening glance.  
  
"Shut the fuck up, Lommy." She says to him while her eyes are still on me.  
  
For a weird moment everyone is quiet and Arya moves around me to get the coffee brewer going. But hoping for the storm to be over is too much. Lommy walks over and has to - yet again - irritate everyone present with talking trash.  
  
"What, you finally gave Gendry a ride and he was no good?"  
  
That surprises her as much as it infuriates me. Lommy must still be drunk, otherwise he would never have the guts to talk that way to Arya. Before she can say or do anything, my hand is already flying out to grab him by the collar of his wrinkly shirt. Lommy weighs nothing and practically flies when I throw him towards the front door.  
  
"Dude, get the fuck out of here." I tell him.  
  
"Shit, what's your problem, I was just..."  
  
He's not done speaking when I lift my foot with the intention to step closer and punch the smart-ass out of him, but Arya has her hands on my arm and pulls me back with a sudden jerk.  
  
"Stop it, Gendry. He's not worth it." She growls to me, but I know she is just as mad and I want to know why the hell we aren't kicking his ass already.  
  
"You got issues, man." Lommy says as Edric pulls him up from the floor. "What-"  
  
"Get. Out! Or I will be the one to give you cause for a nose-job, Lommy, I swear to God. Get. The. Fuck. Out!" Arya screams angrily at him and both guys are quick on their feet, grabbing their jackets and walking out without further comment.


	8. Chapter 8

With Lommy and Edric gone, I stand still and wait for Arya to let go of my arm. But she doesn't and I can in no way know how to interpret that. Yeah, we do need to talk, but I would rather she just got it done with and left because the longer she remains, the more my hope grows. When in reality it shouldn't, because I know she doesn't see me that way. We had developed a bond of familiarity through the years. If anything, I was one more brother to her. A few excruciatingly awkward minutes pass and Arya finally speaks:  
  
"...Why haven't you told me this?"  
  
"Because I know you don't see me that way. But now I need you to know, otherwise I won't get over you, so just tell me what we both know and let's be done with this."  
  
"Wha- It's just that I never thought of you like-"  
  
"-I know!" I snap and remove her hands from my arm, carefully this time. "So don't make this any more embarrassing for me. Just go."  
  
"It's not that simple, Gendry! Go? You want me to go?!" There's a pause and I see she wants to argue, but her face then changes and I want to forget this all and simply hug her. "But we are still friends, aren't we?"  
  
The look she gives me then is almost as bad as her rejecting me, because there is fear of our friendship coming to an end clear in her grey eyes. But how can I tell her truthfully that we are friends? Not now, not when every time we hang out I'll be reminded of this. Right now I don't want Arya Stark as my friend, I want her mine and mine alone. Although it's a stupid thought, because she'll never belong to someone other than herself, it's what I am feeling and it sickens me.  
  
"No. Definitely not." I say and I am not surprised when she opens her mouth at once to speak. "At least not for now, okay? I can't."  
  
"...Why?" She demands and reaches for me again, but I move away.  
  
For a moment we simply stare at each other, both unsure as to what to happens now and I am the one who moves first, reaching for a cup and filling it with coffee.   
  
  
I hear her retreat into my room. When she walks out again, I turn to see her disappear out the front door and I sigh deeply. Ignoring the coffee, I walk back to my room and lay on my bed to stare at the ceiling. If I weren't such an egoistic idiot, I'd still have my best friend around.  
  
  
Sunday drifts away in a haze and I spend most of the day in my room staring at the ceiling and ignoring Hot Pie when he tries to goad me out. Finally my hunger wins and I make an appearance out in the kitchen, where I find Hot Pie and Mycah having dinner and sharing a bottle of wine. Clearly I'm interrupting something. I move wordlessly to the fridge, grab the first thing I see that looks edible and a beer.  
  
"Are you or are you not going to tell us why you've been locked up all day?" Says Hot Pie and I turn to see that both are looking intently at me.  
  
"What? Arya hasn't spoken to you?" My question is directed to Mycah and he shakes his head to the sides. "At all?"  
  
"Nope." Says Mycah. "I texted her but she's playing dead or something."  
  
That can't possibly be good.  
  
"I told her."  
  
Both make surprised sounds and start asking for details at once, Hot Pie even slaps me on the back as if this was something he should congratulate me for.  
  
"She said we needed to talk, but Lommy and Edric were out here so we ended up kicking them out because Lommy was being a douche. Then she asked me why I hadn't told her before and somehow it all ended with me telling her we couldn't be friends and she left."  
  
"Well.... Shit." Is Hot Pie's reaction and Mycah simply nods empathetically.  
  
Their questions don't stop there and I do give them one or two responses more, but I grow tired after a while and disappear into my room again.  
  
  
Shortly after, Hot Pie is again by my door telling me about a club having a Sunday special and I groan, because there is no way I am going. But he makes a great case for it: Arya will probably be there. Then the fight begins, the one between the part of me crazily wanting to see her again and the other part, the one that needs time away from her to start recuperating. Finally coming to the conclusion that this decision shouldn't be based on the chances of meeting Arya there, I decide not to go. But then Hot Pie starts reaching completely new levels of whining and I give in.


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as we reach the place, I regret my decision. Not so much for the place itself, it seems fine even though it is a dance club, but because I see Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark on the line. We stand right behind them and I let Mycah and Hot Pie talk about whatever while I try to hide from the girls, I definitely don't feel like talking to them. Sansa is looking at the guard, the tall one with the burn-mark on his face, and she leans into Margaery to say something that makes the girl roll her eyes. As he looks at her ID, she flips her hair and looks at him with hungry eyes which is only interesting to me because I notice that Margaery looks like she'd rather be eaten alive by piranhas than witness Sansa's indiscrete flirting. Wonder if Sansa is aware of her best friend's feelings for her? The second that thought forms, I cringe. Too close to home.  
  
  
The girls disappear inside and we are next. The guard takes a hard look at our ID's and stares each of us down before he lets us in. Inside the music is too loud, the lights are too bright and the bar too far away. For now. Hot Pie doesn't bother to ask me to dance, already accustomed to my answer, but Mycah shyly starts to ask before I leave him mid-sentence to find the bar instead. I find a chair, order a beer and get to drinking while I keep an eye on Hot Pie and Mycah on the dance-floor.  
  
  
I catch sight of Sansa and Margaery when they wave to get the bartender's attention and Margaery is the one who sees me and walks over while Sansa orders.  
  
"Hi, you're Gendry right? You're Arya's friend!" Was, probably. But I don't correct her. Instead I nod and await her reaction. "Nice, we've met before but I don't think you remember me. Margaery."  
  
We shake hands. I do remember Margaery, because Arya finds her as annoying as Sansa at times and will go on about it for hours.  
  
"Oh God, isn't it great? Summer vacation! I needed it so badly. You are a student as well?"  
  
"I work." I say and take a sip of my beer. Arya doesn't seem to have told her sister anything, or else Margaery would know and comment on it.  
  
Sansa walks over to us with two ornate drinks in her hands and gives one over to Margaery. Then she sees me and her eyebrows fly up.  
  
"Gendry! Hi! Been a while. Sorry about yesterday, but I assume you were more than okay with having Arya over." Sansa says and now wiggles her eyebrows at me.  
  
For a moment I find myself clueless about what she's talking about, then I remember that Arya had to stay over because Sansa had gotten too drunk and gone to Margery's instead. But I remain a bit clueless about the last part, and she sees my confusion and laughs.  
  
"...You like her, don't you? Not that I understand why..."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Well, you do!" She responds and laughs out loud.  
  
How come everyone is aware of it and Arya has been in the dark this long? It's like everyone is in on this big joke and I almost groan in rage because the situation is fucking absurd.  
  
  
It doesn't take long before Mycah and Hot Pie come over and join the girls in conversation, which is good for me because they quickly leave the whole "me-being-in-love-with-Arya"-subject behind. Then they all start dancing for a while and I am blissfully alone again, since I rather watch the socializing than perform it. My bliss is short-lived, though, because Willow appears beside me out of nowhere.  
  
"Didn't expect to see you here!" She says and goes in for a hug. I quickly pat her back and distance myself from her. "Aren't you working tomorrow? Jeyne is going to yell at you if you're hung-over!"  
  
"Well, I won't be, since I wasn't planning on drinking half the bar." I say and turn my head to find the rest where I last saw them on the dance floor. But I freeze because instead of finding the group I find Arya staring intently at me and Willow.  
  
Right then Willow leans in to say something to my ear which I barely pay attention to because I am too busy seeing Arya raise an eyebrow and turn her head away. My body is prepared to jump and explain the situation, but my mind strictly reminds me that she just rejected me this morning and I probably should ignore that eyebrow. Although I know it too well... I know most of her expressions too well. But, surprising me again, she strolls over and gives both Willow and me a dry "hi" before she shifts her attention towards the bartender instead. It surprises me because Arya isn't the type to treat people badly for the sake of it and she also wouldn't get jealous, since there is nothing between us anyway, right? But the more I stare at her tense shoulders, the more I question the reason for her actions. Is she only in a bad mood? Maybe that time of the week? Did something happen? Should I worry? Should I ask?  
  
"...So I told Jeyne that she couldn't possibly hire someone that-"  
  
"That's great, sorry, but I need to talk to Arya." I say to Willow, interrupting her in the middle of a sentence of a story I honestly hadn't been listening to at all.  
  
Taking two steps, I end up right behind Arya as she receives back her card and grabs her beer. I touch her shoulder briefly, to make her aware of my presence before I speak.  
  
"Are you alright?" I ask her and she moves away from me like I was acid. The reaction makes my stomach drop.  
  
"Can you _not_?" There's disgust clear on her face and it's matched by her voice. Without any more explanation, Arya turns around and walks away. Not toward the dance floor, but toward a door leading to the alley where most of the club's visitors go to smoke. Before I can even register the fact that she just snapped at me and that I should probably leave her be, I am tracing her steps with my own.


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay Arya, what the fuck was that?" I ask the moment we are outside and the few people outside glance surprised at me for a moment, their eyes then quickly finding other things to observe when they notice my size.  
  
"No, _you_ tell me what the fuck _that_ was! No, actually, don't. I don't care." With a shaky hand she lifts her beer to her mouth and takes a long swallow.  
  
"Stop!" I tell her and grab her arm, the one holding the beer.  Bad move.  
  
In a short, swift movement, she's thrown the whole thing on me. But although I am dripping with cold, stinking beer, it's hard to pay attention to anything other than Arya's furious face. I'd say Arya's face is mesmerizing at all times, but right now in particular, because that fury is directed at me and I haven't the slightest hint as to why. Our spectators walk nervously back into the club and we end up alone outside.  
  
"Wait, why are _you_ the one getting mad-" I say, but she intervenes before I am done.  
  
"-I get that you were playing on some stupid joke this morning but the least you could do is... I don't know." Her words are hurried and she doesn't even look me in the eye, that is what finally makes me lose it too.  
  
"-What do you mean joke? Arya! ...You think I was joking?!" Hopefully my voice gets across the incredulity I am feeling, because there is a limit as to how much a person can deny a truth when it's standing right in front of them. "You think my feelings for you are a joke?!"  
  
"I don't know! Shit. Maybe. But if you wanted to get over me so badly you could at least have done it with anybody else, anywhere else."  
  
"I don't like Willow that way." I say and by now it feels like this is the only thing I've ever been telling Arya, over and over again.  
  
"Which way is that?" She asks, curling her lip in a mocking sneer. "Clothed?"  
  
"We weren't doing anything." I lower my voice, speaking slower as if that will make the words anymore truthful than they already are.  
  
"It doesn't matter. It's none of my business." This time she does look me in the eye, that crazed fury of hers now replaced with a cold version of the eternal Arya-scowl. "Do what you want."  
  
"You want me to do what I want?" I say, my voice growing stronger with irritation.  
  
"I couldn't care less." Her arms close around her, her grey eyes pierce me with a challenge. She expects me to accept her words and walk away.  
  
"What I _really_ want?" I repeat and I see her flinch because she things I am fucking around again and she's about to snap.  
  
"Screw you!" She shrieks and the sound doesn't last for long, because I put my hand behind her head and direct her lips to collide with mine as I lay all my anger in this kiss.  
  
  
I am aware in that moment that what I am doing isn't precisely a decent thing to do, but she _did_ tell me to do what I wanted. Some would argue that works as well as consent as any. However, I know it's wrong and I am just about to let go of her when her arms circle my neck and my resolution vanishes into thin air.   
  
  
In that precise moment I am not only overthinking the softness of her lips, but also the fact that she did kiss me back when I first kissed her, the night we were playing truth or dare. But at that time, she didn't know about my feelings. Now she does and the fact that she is kissing me back this time means so much more, enough to make me weak. Yet I don't feel weak when I press her even closer to me or when she herself jumps to wrap her legs around me and I steady her against me with my hands on her thighs. I explore Arya's skin; my mouth moves to find the spot below her ear and trace it down to her collarbone. Then I find her lips again, my teeth sinking into her lower lip to pull on it softly, the way I've always pictured I would if I ever got the chance. Her fingers curl on my neck and her nails scratch my skin, commanding my tongue to hers and I don't object.  
  
  
We barely register the door opening and closing but we do hear someone whooping in approval and I lower Arya to the ground, our moment brutally interrupted by the newcomer. She looks away from me, her chest heaving up and down and I could swear there is a blush spreading across her face. With reality materializing around me, I take notice of my wet shirt and look up to send a deathly stare at whomever interrupted us. Two girls stand turned to each other, speaking intently and barely paying any mind to us. When I turn to Arya again, she is tracing the front of her black shirt with her hand and I realize I must've gotten it wet.  
  
"Sorry." I say meekly, unsure about how to proceed from where we are. "I can get you-"  
  
"I hadn't thought of you like that before." Arya suddenly starts to speak and I shut up instantly, not knowing what to expect. "You didn't even let me picture it, going on about how you told me only so you could get over me. But then you said we can't even be friends and I thought... Well, fine. I was prepared to give you some time and let it go, but then I saw you here with stupid Willow and I got mad because I had already started picturing it! You put that stupid picture in my mind, then you decide you can move on?! No, fuck that. I've made up my mind."  
  
The words rush out of her and I stay silent for a bit, trying to burn them into my memory because I am pretty sure I might wake up at any time. Surely I must be dreaming, if she admitted to having been jealous of Willow. Almost unthinkingly my hands move to fix the collar of her shirt and her hands grip mine, holding them still on her neck.  
  
"...What did you decide?" My voice comes out throaty and I bite my lip, nervously wondering what happens now.  
  
Instead of answering, she lets go of my hands to grab my shirt and pull me down. The kiss she gives me is careful; a question. The one I give in return is utter submission.  
  
  
Inside the club we find our group by the bar and make our way over. The moment they see our hands entwined, they smile knowingly and I feel a rush of pride that almost makes me smile as foolishly as them.  
  
"That took long enough." Hot Pie says and rolls his eyes at Arya.  
  
"Right?" Says Sansa and laughs.  
  
Arya simply smiles, gives them her middle finger and grabs my neck to pull me in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've seen the movie "But I'm a cheerleader" then you probably recognize a bit of their conversation because I borrowed some lines from the scene between Megan and Graham in the club.
> 
> But yeah, this is all, folks! If you enjoyed it, by all means leave a comment about your favorite part. ...Now I'll try to go finish my other on-going fanfictions.


End file.
